UGANDA ALL PRIMATES TOUR: GORILLA TRACKING, CHIMP & GOLDEN MONKEYS SAFARI 

Day 1: Kibale National Park, Guided Primates Walk in Bigodi

More primates like black and white colobus monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, grey-cheeked monkeys, bush babies, pottos and many bird species like the yellow-spotted nicator, rumped tinker bird, little greenbul, green breasted pitta, the crowned eagle, black bee-eater and mammals like elephants can be seen in this walk.

Early morning after breakfast we continue driving through the undulating highlands of south-western Uganda on our way to the greener and beautiful Fort Portal area. The lush rolling hills of this region provide good photo opportunities.

As you approach Fort Portal in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains, you enter Uganda's famous tea plantation region. A carpet of green spreads before you, as far as the eye can see, and seems an unusual contrast to the countryside through which you have just passed.

In the afternoon we visit a nearby forest swamp that is excellent for viewing primates and other forest animals. At the eastern edge of Kibale forest is Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary which is maintained by the local community. You will expect birds like the great blue turaco, blue monkeys, baboons, otters, mongoose, bushbucks, bush pigs and others.

Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)

 Luxury: Kyaninga Lodge | Ndali Lodge | Crater Safari Lodge

Moderate: Isunga Lodge| Kibale Forest Camp | Turaco Treetops Lodge

Low Budget: Kibale Forest Camp (in tents) | Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse (shared bathroom rooms)

Day 2: Kibale Chimpanzee Tracking Experience Plus Other Primates

Assemble at Kanyankyu River camp at 08:00 hours to go for the most popular activity in this park which is chimpanzee tracking.

Chimpanzees are man’s closest cousins though they are one of the most threatened primate species. More primates like black and white colobus monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkeys, bush babies, pottos and many bird species like the yellow-spotted nicator, rumped tinker bird, little greenbul, green breasted pitta, the crowned eagle, black bee-eater and mammals like elephants can be seen in this walk.

Kibale National Park, which averages about 3,300 feet in elevation, is an extension of the great rainforests of Central Africa. It is inhabited by three large communities of chimps, each numbering more than 100 individuals. Each community has a complicated social structure. The big adult males dominate the group and defend the community territory against incursions by male outsiders; the females usually wander in small family groups.

Typically, we locate the chimps by listening for their pant-hooting calls, then hustle to the area from which they are calling. We get to observe them as they feed in fruiting trees, lounge, and socialize with each other, or even, occasionally, hunt.

Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)

Luxury: Kyaninga Lodge | Ndali Lodge | Crater Safari Lodge

Moderate: Isunga Lodge| Kibale Forest Camp | Turaco Treetops Lodge

Low Budget: Kibale Forest Camp (in tents) | Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse (shared bathroom rooms)

Day 3: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After breakfast, we drive further south through stunning savannah grasslands as we head towards the breathtaking Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

While most of today's forests are no more than 12,000 years old, Bwindi's vegetation has been weaving itself into tangles for over 25,000 years, in the process accumulating a lengthy species list.

This includes 310 species of butterflies, 51 reptiles, 200 trees, 88 moths and an exceptional 120 species of mammals, including 10 primates. The latter includes chimpanzee, L'Hoest's, red-tailed and blue monkey, black and white colobus, baboon, and Bwindi's most famous resident, the mountain gorilla.

Bwindi is a prime destination for birdwatchers. Its 350 species include seven that are IUCN red data listed and 90% of all Albertine rift endemics – species that are difficult or impossible to see in any other part of East Africa.

Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)

Standard Luxury: Chameleon Hill Lodge | Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge Bwindi

Moderate: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Low Budget: Gorilla Haven Lodge Rushaga

Day 4: Gorilla Tracking Experience, Trekking Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

After breakfast, proceed for the morning briefing before enjoying the highlight of the trip - gorilla trekking, which may last the entire day.

We trek through the rainforest and bamboo covered slopes, accompanied by a guide and trackers, in search of a mountain gorilla family. The walking can sometimes be tough and long, but when you catch a glimpse of the magnificent silverback, any discomforts will be quickly forgotten. When sighted, visitors will be guided to within 6 metres from the gorillas, sit around them for a whole hour while gazing into their big round eyes.

Gorilla trekking is unpredictable. It's difficult to foresee how many hours you will hike. The gorilla excursion can take from 2 up to 8 hours. Expect to walk along distance in steep and muddy conditions, sometimes with rain overhead, before you encounter any gorillas. A good physical condition is recommended. For conservation purposes, time spent with the gorillas is limited to one hour. A ranger will brief you on how to behave with the gorillas.

Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)

Luxury: Chameleon Hill Lodge | Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge Bwindi

Moderate: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Low Budget: Gorilla Haven Lodge Rushaga

Day 5: Golden Monkey Tracking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

After an early breakfast set off for the national park for the golden monkey tracking experience.

The monkeys are primarily to be found in the bamboo forest that skirts the lower slopes of the volcanoes. The monkeys are very active in the canopy of the bamboo, where your guides mimic their calls to follow the group.

With only a small number remaining in the world, the Golden Monkey can be found in the foothills of the volcanic mountains of Mgahinga National Park in Uganda and in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Characterized by its bright golden body, cheeks and tail, with contrasting black limbs, crown and tail end, these playful primates are a pleasure to watch. Whether you choose to do this on the Rwandan or Ugandan side, the walk will take you from the bamboo stands and forested gorge on the lower levels of the volcanoes to the elevated heath and moorland higher up.

Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)

Standard Luxury: Chameleon Hill Lodge

Moderate: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Low Budget: Gorilla Haven Lodge Rushaga

Day 6: Return to Kampala/ Entebbe or transfer to Kigali

Early breakfast before embarking on our return to Kampala, driving down the grassed and terraced escarpments of southwestern Uganda while taking in the breathtaking sights of the hills of the region dubbed ‘the little Switzerland of Africa’.

This area is a highly fertile, mountainous region with steep-sided hills covered from top to bottom in neatly terraced cultivated rows. Not to miss as we traverse Mbarara are the impressing longhorn Ankole cattle.

A remarkable highlight of this journey is the Equator line and surely you will cross it as we have a brief stop here. We will be in Kampala in the evening before your flight back home.